Why Assam’s Bogibeel bridge has the state Congress fazed

Bogibeel bridge inauguration: The Assam Congress unit alleged that the PM and PMO can’t announce such developmental programme while the panchayat polls are going on in Assam

Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Wednesday moved to the Assam State Election Commission and filed a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister Office (PMO) for violating the Election Commission of India’s Model Code of Conduct of panchayat elections in the state.

According to reports, PM Modi will inaugurate the 4.94 km long Bogibeel bridge, which connects the north and south banks of river Brahmaputra.

The Assam Congress unit alleged that the PM and PMO can’t announce such developmental programme while the panchayat polls are going on in Assam.

In the complaint letter, that Assam Pradesh Congress Committee said that by announcing the inaugural date of the Bogibeel bridge, the Prime Minister and his office are trying to influence the voters and it is a contempt to the election rules.

The Assam Congress unit demanded to take action regarding this.

The AP Congress Committee general secretary Ranjan Bora said that the PM has announced that the Bogibeel bridge will be inaugurated on December 25.

“We think that it has violated the Model Code of Conduct. The Assam State Election Commissioner has assured us that he will inquire into the matter,” Bora said.

On the other hand, Assam State Election Commissioner HN Bora said that the State Election Commission will examine the matter to see if it is a violation or not.

“I got a complaint from them that declaration of the Bogibeel bridge to be inaugurated on December 25. But I will examine it because ongoing schemes are always concessions and we have always relaxed the ongoing schemes. I will examine it as per the procedure of usual cases, priority cases of violation by the State Election Commission, Election Commission of India and then we will take a further decision,” HN Bora said.

It is to be mentioned that, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda laid the foundation stone for India’s longest railroad bridge in January 1997 and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the construction works of the bridge in April 2002.

After several years of slow progress, the Bogibeel bridge was granted a national project status by the Union government in 2007 and missed of several deadlines of completion over the past 16 years, a rail engine with 15 coaches crossed the Bogibeel bridge on October 23 and the first freight train ran on it on December 3.